Background: Body mass index (BMI) and skin fold thickness are independently established methods of nutritional assessment. Present study tries to find out correlation between them.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in private medical college among 2nd year MBBS students. Total 24 students were sampled by purposive sampling method. After obtaining permission from Institutional Ethics committee and written informed consent from participants, study information was gathered using semi structured proforma. Anthropometric measurements were taken using standard techniques and equipments. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel and Prism version 5.0 and appropriate tests were used considering normality of data.Results: Out of 24 study participants 14 were males and 10 were females. Mean weight was 59.29±12.59 kg, mean height was 164.77±10.28 cm, mean BMI was 21.68±3.18 kg/m2. Mean biceps skin fold thickness was 7.20±2.68 mm and mean triceps skin fold thickness was 10.75±3.33mm. Of all the participants 4 (16.67%) were having underweight BMI, 15 (62.50%) were having normal BMI, 5 (20.83%) were pre-obese. BMI correlated significantly with triceps skin fold thickness Spearman’s r=0.53, p=0.006 as compared to biceps skin fold thickness Spearman’s r=0.36, p=0.07 in complete sample. Among males BMI correlated significantly with triceps skin fold thickness Spearman’s r=0.64, p=0.01 as compared to biceps skin fold thickness.Conclusions: BMI correlates significantly with triceps skin fold thickness as compared to biceps skin fold thickness in general. Significant correlation between BMI and triceps skin fold thickness was found with males as compared to females.
Correlation of body mass index with biceps and triceps skin fold thickness
